Device to prevent accidental erasure of magnetic records



May 23, 1950 Filed Feb. 25, 1947 S; J. BEGUN ET AL DEVICE TO PREVENT ACCIDENTAL ERASURE OF MAGNETIC RECORDS 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 J7 n/ PLAYEACK INVENTOR. J.P. ARA/D 7: JR.

JZJ. BEGUN BY @Qwm AT TORNE) y 23, 1950 s. J. BEGUM ET AL 2,508,485

DEVICE TO PREVENT ACCIDENTAL ERASURE 0F MAGNETIC RECORDS Filed Feb. 25, 1947 3 Sheets-Sheet Z y 3, 1950 s J BEGUN ET AL 2,508,485

DEvIcE' T'o PREVENT ACCIDENTAL ERASURE OF MAGNETIC RECORDS Filed Feb. 25, 1947 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 5.4 E55 15 .5 Fig- 76 L u U l [CORD BACK reel 33, as indicated by the arrow. For rewinding an additional roller 38 maybe mounted to provide a rewind guide path, such as is indi cated by the dash-triple-dot line 34, which bypasses the capstan M and the head assembly 35.

The erasing head 43 and the reproducin head 44 are placed in contact with the inner guide path 6| where it is separated from the outer guide path 69 so that the tape 3| in moving along the outer guide path 69, as indicated by the dashdot line 3I-I, does not contact the erasing or recording heads 43, 44 and only contacts the reproducing head 45.' In this'outer guide path 69 the record track is beyond the magnetic influence of the erasing and recording heads 43, 44, and erasing and recording operations cannot be effected. Along the inner guide path, as indicated by the dash-double-dot line '3I -2, the record track contacts all three magnetic heads so that erasing, recording and re roducin or any combination of these, may be efiected. The magnetic' heads 43, 44, 45 may be identical, each containing a magnetic core 48 surrounded by transducing windings 50, as is well known in the art. r

Fig. 1 indicates a wiring diagram that may be used for controlling the recording and playback operations. One terminal of the windings of each core is grounded. The other terminal of the recordin head 44 is connected to the output of recording amplifier 18. the other terminal of the playback head .5 being connected to the in ut of p ayback amplifier 82. and the ungrounded terminal of the erasin head 43 to the output of the high frequency oscillator 11.

V A suitable signal source, such as the microphone 19, feeds the in ut of recording amplifier 18. and a signal reproducing device, such as the loud speaker 83. is fed by the output of re roducing amplifier 82, the circuits being completed bv the ground connections shown. A capacitor 80 feeds some of the high frequency output of oscillator 11 to therecordinghead 44 so as to provide the necessarv A. C. bias for recording. Switch 31 acts to selectively connect suitable power sources, indicated by the circled 34- signs, to the'amplifler 82, or to the amplifier 18 and high frequency oscillator 11 so that in the left-hand record position, when record track is present in the inner guide path. the recording amplifier 18 provides a recording flux in the recording head 44, and the oscillator 11 simultaneously provides an erasing flux in the erasing head 43 and an A. C. biasing flux in the recording head. The exclusion of record track from the inner guide ath 8|, as by constraining it to travel along the outer guide path 69, makes recording and/or erasing impossible because record track in outer path 69 is not magnetically linked with these cores.-

In the right-hand playback position the switch 31 disconnects the oscillator 11 and the amplifier 18 from the power supply, and connects the playhack amplifier 82 with its power supply so that recordings may be reproduced in the reproducer 83. The switch 31 in the intermediate position shown disconnects all power supplies so that the apparatus is inoperative. 1

The reels 32, 33, shown distorted as to size. are mounted on rotatable shafts 38, shown as having collars 39 upon which the reels rest. Pro- Jecting from the upper surface of collars 39 are pins 42 which are engaged by corresponding openings of the hubs. of the reels and serve to transmit rotational forces from the shafts to the reels. Suitable means may be provided for actuation of the shafts 38 and the capstan for effecting the desired reeling operations as is well known in the art.

The selection of the guide path along which the record track moves is placed beyond the control of the operator, as for example, by suitably shaping the walls bounding the guide structure 40 so that record tracks of one shape will be 1 moved along the inner guide path 8|, whereas record tracks of other shapes will not be permitted to enter the lower guide path 6i and will be held away and move along the outer guide path 69.

Fig. 1A is an enlarged view showing in greater detail the construction of a head assembly I35 according to the invention. The head assembly I35 be molded or machined as an integral member having side walls 63 and three laterally disposed openings I10. Along the guide portion 40 of the head assembly I35 a deep channel I6I is provided, the floor I 59 of this channel defining an inner record track guide path.

A portion of the walls 63 that define the sides ofthe guide channel IBI are hollowed, as indicated at 66 in Fig. 2; to provide internal shoulders I 68 extending over most of the length of the guide portion 40. The shoulders I68 are situated externally of the floor I59 of the channel I6I and define the two marginal regions of another guide channel I69. The guide channels IBI, I69 are convexly shaped and the distance between the respective floors I59, I68 varies along the assembly structure I35 in a manner similar to that shown in Fig. 1, being at maximum in an intermediate zone and decreasing to zero at the ends of the channel.

The openings I10 extend through the floor I59 but do not extend completely through the thickness of the head assembly I35, leaving a wall "I, as indicated in Figs. 1A and '1. Smaller passageways I12 extend through the wall I II axially of and communicate with the openings I10.

Magnetic heads I are placed within the openings I 10, as indicated in Fig. 1A wherein only two of the heads, the erasing head 43 and the playback head 45, are shown mounted in place. Each of the heads contains a magnetic core 48 which may be made up of two generally c-shaped thin pole pieces I43 mounted so as to form a substantially closed magnetic path including two small non-magnetic gaps53. Each of the pole pieces I43 may be surrounded by a transducing winding I50.

As shown in greater detail in Figs. 4, 5, 6 and 6A, the magnetic head I80 is formed by mounting the pole pieces I43 on a mounting member I8I so shaped as to receive the pole pieces I43 as well as the transducing windings I50, the heads I80 being disposed so that one of the pole piece gaps 53 as well as the surrounding pole portions 54 are exposed along the general contour of the floor I59. The mounting member I8I is shown as a molded 0r machined unit having two generally fiat sides I each with a periphery which has convex regions I 83 and flat regions I84 so as to provide a contour which generally resembles that of openings I10. 011 each of and fastened to pins I96.

amines an arrangement similar to that shown in Fig. 1. The playback core 45, playback amplifier 82, signal reproducing device 83, signal source 19 and variable coupling capacitor 80 are also similarly connected. The 3-}- supply for operating the oscillator l1 and the amplifiers I8, 82 is indicated by the circled 3+ in Fig. 8 and is led to these units through switches 86, 81 which are operated by the shaft of the push buttons 'II, I2 respectively, as shown. With the record button pushed in and the playback button out the B4- is supplied to the recording amplifier I8 and the oscillator 'I'I so that a proper recording of signals may be obtained. Pushing in the playback button I2 permits the recording button ll to pop out and removes the B+ supply from the recording amplifier 18 and the oscillator TI, and establishes a 3+ supply to the playback amplifier 82, thus permitting the reproduction of the recording. By suitable manipulation both recording button H and playback button I2 may be maintained in their operative inwardly'pushed position so that a recording may' be made and immediately played back for monitoring'or other purposes. In a practical embodiment of the apparatus the connections to the windings I50 may be made by means of pins I96 mounted in one side I90 of the mounting member I 8|, the ends of the windings being led over notches I94 Other operating means, such as the second push button assembly I8, may be used to control the tape impelling meansso as to operate the tape in the regular forward direction for recording or reproducing, rapidly in forward direction for quicklylocating a desired spot in a long recording, or in rewind direction for rapidly rewinding. Driving means, such as motors, may be suitably mounted and connected with the supply reel 32, take-up reel 33 and the capstan 4 I, and may be suitably connected with switches operated by the push buttons of the assembly I6. Mechanical or electrical interlinkage may be provided for actuating the arms I2I when theforward push button is pushed so as to bring the pads I20 into contact with the tape'to establish stable magnetic linkages with the respective magnetic heads. A biasing spring I22 is shown for retracting the arms I 2| into inoperative position when the forward push button is in its outer or inoperative position, as for example, when any of the other buttons of assembly I6 is pushed in. The assembly 16' may also contain another push button for stopping the impelling of the tape as by unlatching the other push buttons when desired. A lever '90 may be mounted adjacent the switch assembly I8 and mechanically linked with the arms I2I so that operation of the forward push button will rotate the lever 90 and pull the pads I20 down into operating position.

If desired, the recording and playback amplifier may becombined in which case the switch as-. sembly I may be revised so as to suitably connect the alteredv amplifier input and output as required for recording or playback position. With such construction a supplementary playback amplifier and a supplementary recording amplifier may be used as taught in the application by Otto, Kornei, Serial No. (185,092, filed July 20, 1946. This application also shows the switching arrangement which may be employed. It is, of. course, understood-that simultaneous recordin and playback cannot be effected with such a combined amplifier arrangement.

'- path Why the floor I68 of the guide assembly.

.The guiding portions I90 of the magnetic heads 43, 44 may be wide enough to admit only the narrow record tracks, and the corresponding guiding portions of reproducing head 45 may be wide enough to receive the wide record tracks.

Threading of the tape for the operation of the apparatus may be effected by simply guiding the tape from the supply reel over the periphery of the guide assembly, then around the capstan roller 4|, and from there onto the take-up reel in a manner similar to that shown in Fig. 1. Be-

ginning of the reeling operation will cause tensioning forces to appear'in the portion of the record track between the supply reel 32 andthe 1- capstan roller 4|, and these tensioning forces will urge the record track inwardlytoward the magnetic heads. The guide will control. this inward motion of the record track stopping it at the outer guide path if it is wider than the critical width and permitting it to move to the 2&

record track path if it is narrower than the critical width. r

The magnetic tapes of differing widths may be supplied on reels or holders having difierent tape receiving dimensions but of the same overall width. The narrow tape receiving spacing may be centrally disposed with respect to the wide tape receiving spacing to insure the proper feeding of the narrow tape path along the transverse central portion of the wide tape path. If desired, however, the tapes may be supplied on reels of different overall widths, in which case two levels of reel mounting may be provided on the reel mounting shafts 38.

Although Figs. 1 through 8 are shown as employed with record tracks in the form of a tape, similar constructions may be used for wire type magnetic record tracks in accordance with the invention. A wire guide path may be defined by a grooved guide structure in which the'groove admits a narrow wire but does not permit the entry of a wider wire. The pads I20 are unnecessary for use with wire type record tracks.

The pole face width of theerasing core may be wider than the corresponding widths of the recording core and playback core to insure that all recording and playback be efiected on record track that has been properly erased. Furthermore, when different recording and playback cores are used, it is highly advantageous to make the pole face width oi. the recording core different from the corresponding width of the playback core. Making these cores of the same width permits slight variation in alignment of one core with respect to the other to greatly effect the playback level since part of the recorded signals will be out of range of the playback core. However, a difference in width enables the maintenance of constant playback level in spite of appreciable misalignment. If the pole faces of the recording core are the wider ones, the playback pole faceswill respond to a constant width ".15 1 'According-toanother phase of the invention the, plarbackwpoleztaces mayzbeamadeiwider than thenarrowen record-,itrack channel; so..;as; to .take fulleradyantageiof the-:widtnoithe. .wider record track'usableroncommercial.noneerasablerecordings lmsuchiconstructions thezefiective. width ofrthererasing-spolejacesiseno, larger...than the narrowerztapezchannelr.andmaybe larger, than the. .;Wid.th-.,.Ofz. .the...rec,ording-: poleefaces .of the.

transducers.headflassemblyi .;The.;playback pole races. .may,-1Iorr;the=.reasonsgirenabove also. be of; aewidthflifierent; from; the pole-.1 aces usedv to makeithe; commercial recordings..

.It, iswalsofllmportant that the...pole. .gaps of 1 the recording; and-.playback..headstbesdispcsedz at; the proper...-anglenwith.:respectsto;the; record.- track .widthato avoidigthe .distorting..-.efiects oilrsimultaneousl'y .p1ayinz: .back;..chronologically.- adjacent partsmfi a..;recording.,

:Itisiolwious thatother modifications of. 1record track-.i-reelingr arrangementsrmay; be; used. without afiectingathe ;.in.vention. .:Eor 1.example, ;.the capstan; rollers M wmayabe ,thimand... the. record track-may bee-pressed. against; it foririctional engagement. Also, therewindguida. path maybe substantially identical.Withzthd: iorward. reeling guide aths-:inlwhich casertheipolefacesmaybe burnishedaandi the record; .track flmay. be disengaged:from.;..-the:.-higln inertia-members.- of. the capstaniron;- high; speed reeling;..or.1:ewinding..

Additionally. .other signal recordingtechniques such a i$he .-.D-;C.' .biasimethod; .mayrbe. employed. The erasingrcore .may;.b.e:.omitted@.;if desired ;.in Which'iGaSe theablanle recordstrackmayl be supplied .inimroper magnetic-r condition for. direct recording, .the-xreaturesiot the; invention.- bein v then. .utilized. afor: preventing....superimposed recording;

In place of the magnetic cores shown in .Eigs. 1A. a d. 4;; through: 6A, ,other-cores such .as those shownr-win thewvBegun .application..Seria1 ..No. l;

688;738, :filed..Augustin;1946;rnay .be used. The ring shaped= cores:-formed .of:..only.;a singlelaminationzof. sheetgmetal .otaa thicknesstofr the. order of four to fourteen mills, having on1y,=-,a.. small non-magnetic. gap,:: and extending: substantially I ontwhicn :previousarecords'; may 'zbe erasedand new .recordingsimadeafor.instance; =by the/owner offa magnetic homeerecorder; .orning generaliby. a: user-whordesiresztq recorda=his.-own programs. In accordance; withnthe invention; .such com, mercial recording mediumv or: record; structure utilizes as aemagnetic-recording mediumtpermae nently magnetizable elements'.whichiexhibit such a high-. coercivaiforce that: a programarecorded thereon :---cannot ':be-r obliterated or? erased or harmedibysubjecting itztothe action of either 10 the .erasingjzfiux. or the recording .flux produced by the magnetic recording equipment of the home. recordingdevice; andthe home. recording medium. or. record structure utilizes, on the. other hand, a recording medium embodying permanently vmagnetizable magnetic elementswhich exhibita coercive..;force sufiiciently lower than .Jthat. exhibited. .by: the commercial recording. me-

exhibiting .ascoercive force. of about- 500. tov 600 oerstedso that magnetic flux which is. sufiicient .to:.saturate the. permanently. magnetizable par.-

.tlCJlQSflf; thehome recordingmedium is not sufiicient. to materially sheet the magnetic condition of.v the.. magnetic.- particles 1 or". the commercial recording. mediumeexhibitinga coercive force of: about 50.0 to; 6il0..oersted, or more- The. expression. magnetic record: transducing as. usediherein m the pecificationw and claims is intendedinto. mean: either the operation ofmagnetically-recordingsignals on a'magnetic recordingmedium, or the operation of reproducing magnetically recorded signals, ortheoperation oilerasingmagnetically recorded signals, or any combination-oi two-or more of these operations. It 1 Wilt-be apparent to thoseskilledin the art 'that'the novelprinciples of the invention disclosed hereinin connection with specific exemplii'ications thereof will suggest various other modifications and applications of the same. it is--accordingly desired that 1 in construing the breadth of the-appended claims they shall not belimitedto-the specific exemplifications of the inventiondescribed above.

We -claim:

I 1. Ina magnetic record transducing apparatus for transducing-signals on an eiongatedmagnetic record track reeiedin coilform on a supply reel and having a guide structure including spaced surface elementsidefining at least two alternate record-track guide paths alongwhich the record track is' mo'ved during 'transducing operations; said paths including, a common path portion; 'rotatable'reel mounting means for receiving the supply-reel} recordtrack impeliing means'for moving the-record track along any one of the guidepathsandunreeiing it from the supply reel;

magnetic erasing core elements positioned-for magneticfiux linkagewith the successive portions of a record-trackmoving along' one of the alterna-teguide paths and out of-magnetic'fi'uxlinkage with a record track mo-ving along a di-ilerent alternate-'guide-path; and a magnetic playback corehavingpole portions spaced by a non-magnetiogapand positioned for magnetic flux lihkage with the successive portions of a record track moving-. along said common path portion; said g uidesurface elements being positioned to co-act with a predetei-mined dimension of the record track to guide the record track along one of said alternate guide paths when the predetermineddimension' is; below. a distinguishing value and to guide the record trackalong aidifferent alternate guideapathwhen. the: predetermined dimension is aboveithe distinguishingvalue for preventing inadvertent GXPGSUIBJ. of; record. tracks: .of predetermined dimensional characteristics to the magnetic erasing flux.

2. In a magnetic record transducing apparatus for transducing signals on an elongated magnetic record track reeled in coil form on a supply reel and having a guide structure including surface elements defining at least two alternate record track guide paths along which the record track is moved during transducing operations; said paths including a common pathv portion; rotatable reel mounting means for receiving the supply reel; record track impelling means for impelling the record track along any one of the guide paths and unreeling it from the supply reel; magnetic recording core elements positioned for magnetic flux linkage with the successive portions of a record track moving along one of the alternate guide paths and out of magnetic fiux linkage with a record track moving in a difierent alternate guide path; magnetic playback core elements positioned for magnetic flux linkage with the successive portions of a record tracksmoving along said common path portion; said guide surface elements being positioned to co-actwith a predetermined dimension of the record track to selectively guide the record track along one of saidalternate guide paths when the predetermined dimension is below a distinguishing value andto guide the record track along a different alternate guide path when the predetermined dimension is above the distinguishing value, for preventing inadvertent exposure of record tracks of predetermined dimensional characteristics tothemagnetic recording flux.

3. In a magnetic record transducing apparatus for transducing signals on an elongated magnetic record track reeled in coil form on a supply reel and having a guide structure including surface elements defining at least two alternate record track guide paths along which the record track is moved during transducing operations; said paths including a common path portion; rotatable reel mounting means for receiving the supply reel; record track impelling means for impelling the record track along any one of the guide paths and unreeling it from the supply reel; a magnetic'fiux-generating head having magnetic core portions positioned for magnetic fiux linkage with the successive portions of a record track moving along one of the alternate guide paths to subject the elements of the record track so moving to the action of the flux generated by said core, and out of magnetic flux linkage with a record track moving along a different guide path; a magnetic playback head having magnetic core portions positioned for magnetic fiux linkage with the successive portions of a record track moving along said common path portion; said guide surface elements being positioned to coact with a predetermined dimension of the record track to selectively guide the record track along one of said alternate guide paths when the predetermined dimension is below a distinguishing value and to guide the record track along a difierent alternate guide path when the predetermined dimension is above the distinguishing value, for preventing inadvertent exposure of record tracks of predetermined dimensional characteristics to the magnetic flux of the fluxgenerating core.

4. In a magnetic record transducing-apparatus for transducing signals on an elongated magnetic record track reeled in coil form on a supply reel and having a guide structure including spaced surface elements defining a pair of alternate record-track guide pathsalong which the record track is moved during transducing operations; said paths including a common'path portion; rotatable reel mounting means for receiving the supplyreel; record trackimpelling means for impelling the record track along either one of the guide paths and unreeling it from the supply reel; a magnetic'fiux-generating head having core portions positioned for magneticfiuxlinkage with the successive portions of a record track moving along one of the alternate guide paths and out of magnetic flux linkageflwith a record track moving along the other guide path, for subjecting the elements of the record track mov-.- ing along said one path to the action of the fiux generated by saidcore; a magnetic playback head having core portions positioned for magnetic flux linkage with the successive portions of a record track moving along said common path portion; said guide surface elements forming part of spaced opposing side walls positioned to co act with the width of the record track for selectively guiding the record track along one of said alternate guide paths when the record track width is less than a' critical value and for guiding the record track along the other alternate guide path when therecord track width is larger than the critical value, for preventing inadvertent exposure of record tracks of predetermined width to the magnetic fiux of the flux-generating core.

5. A magnetic record transducing apparatus as defined by claim 3 including two magnetic fiuxgenerating core portions p0sitioned for-magnetic fiux linkage with the successive portions of a record track moving along one of the alternate guide paths and out of magnetic fiux linkage with record tracks moving along a diiferent guide path. 7

6. A magnetic record transducing apparatus as defined by claim 5 in which one of said fluxgenerating core portions is a magnetic record erasing core portion and the other of said fluxgenerating core portions is a magnetic recording core portion. i

7. In a magnetic record transducing apparatus for transducing signals on an elongated magnetic recordtrack reeledin coilform ona supply reel and having a-guide structure including surface elements defining ate-least two alternate record track guide paths along which the record track is moved during transducing operations; said paths including a common path portion; rotatable reel mounting means for receiving the supply reel; record track impelling means for impelling the record track along any one of the guide paths and unreeling it from the supply reel; magnetic flux-generating "core elements positioned for-magnetic flux linkage with the successive portions of a record trackmoving along one of the alternate guide paths to subject the elements of the recordtrack-so moving to; the action of the flux generated by said core elements, and out of magnetic flux linkage with a record track moving in a difie'rentlalternate guide path; magnetic playback core elements having poles positioned for' magnetic "fiux linkage with the successive portions of a 'record track moving along said common path portion; some of said guide surface elements havingspaced opposite wall portions 'separatedby a relatively small distance defining the width of. an inner relatively narrow alternate guide path, other of said guide surface elements having spaced opposite wall.

portions separated by a relatively greater .distance to define an outer relatively-wide alter grieving a width less than said inner guide path to penetrate into said inner guide path and seme of this patent: lectively preventing wider, record tracks from being guided along said inner guide path. UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date SEMI JOSEPH BEGUN. 789,336 Poulsen May 9, 1905 13 14 note guide path, for permitting record tracks REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the JOHN P. ARNDT, JR. 2,351,006 Camras June 13, 1944 

